Love and Friendship
by Sci-fi Christian
Summary: A collection of Dramione one-shots. Dealing with friendships, second chances, and love. Will take requests. Very little hate in this fic.
1. Not a Mudblood

**This is my first foray into the Dramione fandom. I've been a Harry Potter fan forever, but I've never written here. I hope you like it.**

**THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT! JUST BY CLICKING ON THIS MAKES MY DAY!**

**Please remember to review at the end! :)**

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**Description: Set during CHAMBER OF SECRETS. Draco writes a letter to Hermione after she is petrified. When she's cured, a new understanding emerges between the two young hopeful friends.**

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No one was around as he slipped into the infirmary.

He shouldn't be here.

He really shouldn't, but he needed to be.

What he had said to her those months ago, haunted him.

He didn't mean it.

He honestly didn't.

He only said those hurtful words. Called her that hateful name. Because he had to keep face with his friends. Truth was, he admired her. He admired her courage. Her brilliance. Her…beauty.

He shifted nervously on his feet. Rubbing his left arm with his right hand, he glanced around the room before walking down the center aisle towards her. He paused at the foot of her bed and sighed. She was frozen, just like the others, and the pain in his chest radiated with a sharp feeling.

Moving to the side of her bed, he gingerly sat down. Holding out his hand, he touched her petrified hand.

Cold.

His grey eyes fluttered to keep the tears at bay. He hated seeing her like this. Bollocks, he couldn't stand it.

He swallowed and dropped his hand. "I never wanted you to get attacked," he began in a low voice, in case anyone was in proximity.

"I said it, but I never meant it," he continued, shaking his head. "I hope you can forgive me, Granger. Please,"

Silence greeted him and he welcomed it. No words could take back what he said. The pain he caused.

Taking the envelope out of his robes, he smiled faintly at the notion she would read his letter, but it faded when he thought she wouldn't.

He may have burned the bridges between them, but he had to try.

He had to take the chance.

**~XXX~**

She was cured after nearly two months. He observed her reunion with her friends and smiled with pained delight as she laughed and smiled with them.

She was beautiful.

He quietly stood up after the celebration and exited the Great Hall, stating he needed some air.

He arrived at the small garden just outside the building. Remembering the time, he criticized her. He winced with the painful memory.

He bowed his head and rested his arms on his knees as the cold stone bench offered little comfort.

"You left."

He stiffened but refused to raise his head. He couldn't. It was a dream. "Yeah, well, after everything…" he remarked, keeping his head down.

Hermione sighed and walked towards him, sitting down on the cool bench beside him. She bowed her head to try to capture his eyes with hers and cleared her throat as she pulled out the envelope with her name inscribed. "Did you mean it? What you wrote?"

He swallowed, eyeing the parchment before straightening and catching her eyes. He read the sympathy. The hope. No pain. No kind of hurting. He licked his lips and nodded, not trusting his voice.

She smiled, brightly, and leaned forward to press her lips on his cheek. She pulled back with a short laugh. "Thank you," she responded with affection.

He smiled. "You're welcome, Granger," he returned, carefully.

She bowed her head and slowly stood up. "I won't say anything to the others if you want."

He nodded. "I don't think they would understand."

She clutched the letter and licked her lips. "Would you mind if I…if I wrote to you during the summer?"

The question was careful and hopeful. His eyes widened. What would his father say if he knew? He stood up and nervously shifted on his feet. "My father…"

Hermione shook her head. "There are ways he won't find out," she interrupted, blushing just a fraction. "If you want…"

"Oh, I want," Draco vehemently stated, smiling shyly. "Thank you,"

"For what," she asked, tilting her head to the side.

He dipped his head forward. "Giving me a chance."

She shrugged. "We all deserve a chance, Draco. Though sometimes, it takes the first step for someone to earn a second chance, and you took it."

He smiled and nodded before watching her leave with a wave of her hand. Hope swelled in his chest as he ran over the moment, which would forever be a part of his mind.

It was a start. He confirmed, pivoting to head towards the Slytherin dormitories. A little happier than he was at the start of the year.

**~XXX~**

Hermione watched from the shadows with a smile on her face as he disappeared in the hallway. The note clutched in her hands. The note of hope in her eyes.

The first step in her renewed relationship with Draco Malfoy.

She unfolded the note and with a quiet approval, she reread the words which spurned her to a speedy recovery.

_You are not a Mudblood. You are a beautiful person, Hermione Granger. I am sorry for the cruelty of my actions. I never wanted, nor wished, for you to get hurt. Please forgive me._

_Draco Malfoy_

With a deep breath, she folded the letter and nodded. Harry and Ron would never understand, but she did. And so, did Draco.

For the moment, she knew they were the only ones who would.

And for the moment, it was enough to be hopeful friends with Draco Malfoy.

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**Please be kind!**

**It's not the best, but I hope you like it anyway. I've written other one-shots of Dramione. Should I put them with this or separately? Let me know!**

**Until Next Time...**


	2. Not Safe But Real

**THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME!**

**Please remember to review at the end! :)**

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**Description: Hermione, wanting the truth, follows Draco to the Room of Requirement, and more than one truth is revealed, as she confesses that she would do anything to ensure his safety for she would not be real without him.**

**Setting: During the Half-Blood Prince (AU)**

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She followed, scared for him and others in the school. Harry's claims that he was a Death Eater caused her so much pain. She refused to accept it.

Draco was a lot of things but a Death Eater was preposterous.

Or it should have been.

She rounded the corner and bit her bottom lip when she saw him enter the Room of Requirement. Carefully, she rushed forward, grateful when the room remained in view, allowing her to enter.

Threading through the clutter, much different from the last time she entered the room, and wondered if she would ever find him. Hearing a noise from a short distance, she circled a stack of unknown objects and inhaled deeply. There he was. Sitting in front of an old cupboard with his head down.

"Draco," she called out, causing his head to jerk up.

"Granger, you shouldn't be here," he stated, roughly, though she didn't care. She had to know.

Her eyes lifted to the cupboard, barely noticing he turned to face her. She shifted and caught his eyes. In them, she saw the anguish and shame.

"Please tell me," she began, stepping closer. "Please tell me it isn't true," she added, tears filling her eyes, drifting to the rolled-up sleeve on his left arm. The confirmation drew her breath. It couldn't be true. It couldn't be.

His own fell to the floor and he turned away in disgrace. "I have no choice," he remarked, his voice low and hard.

"There is always a choice," she responded, stepping around to face him.

"Not for me," he answered, his wand lowering to his side.

She tilted her head to the side and touched his arm. "Even for you," she returned, as his eyes lifted to hers.

"He wants me to do this," he nearly choked out, tears filling his eyes. His torment ripping through her soul as if it were her own. "He'll kill me if I don't and my parents," he added, brokenly.

Her heart broke inside at the pain she heard and felt. Sympathy ran through her soul for the tortured soul standing before her. Understanding dawned inside as the pieces fell into place in her mind. "You hexed Katie, didn't you?"

He swallowed and his answer spoken in silence. "I…I didn't mean to. It wasn't supposed to be her. I never wanted…I never intended…" His sentences forced and stuttering. His thoughts conflicted that much was written on his face.

She searched his eyes and in the depths of his grey orbs, she saw the regret. Lifting her hand, she touched his face, hesitantly, unknowing if he would pull back. The single touch said so much as his body relaxed and his eyes closed with relief.

"She lived." Her voice was low as a whisper and carried so much weight from his shoulders.

"She could have died."

"But she didn't and your reaction proves how much you care. You are not…" The words stuck in her throat. How could she say the words? He wasn't a Death Eater. He wasn't. She saw his kindness as deep as he tried to hide it. She saw his darkness but it only covered the pain revealed in his eyes.

"You don't deserve this pain," she whispered, sensing he needed the words.

For the first time in a long time, he smiled; however, it still carried a twinge of sadness. "You should head back to the others," he muttered, refusing to move from her touch. "You shouldn't be here."

She shook her head. "You need someone, Draco." How odd that she could say his first name with such ease when all these years he had been Malfoy. She smiled at the revelation. She was needed. She could see that. She was needed, not to perform spells, but to be there, supporting, comforting.

His eyes opened and she witnessed the tenderness in his soul. For reasons, she was unsure of, she knew he was showing a piece of himself he rarely showed anyone. "I can't risk it," he paused, fear flashing in his eyes. "I can't risk you."

Silence surrounded them for a moment. At that moment, there was no Dark Lord, no incoming battle, no dark deeds to perform, nothing but two people desperate for understanding and comfort. "Draco," she breathed out, wanting the truth. Needing it.

He was saying words that she never believed he would have said. Words she dreamed of for so many years. He was telling her he cared…for her.

He shifted closer to her, leaning his forehead on hers for a simple touch that meant so much to both of them. The connection they never knew they wanted nor thought they needed. After years of animosity, they found peace in this simple moment.

A peace which was so rare in these times. A peace that connected them in a way no one would have believed existed.

"War is coming. It's inevitable, isn't it," she muttered, softly.

He tensed and lifted his free hand to grasp her hand on his face, pulling it down, stopping at his chest. "Whatever happens, be safe, Hermione, please. If anything," he began, pausing as his voice choked with emotion, feeling her shiver as he used her first name for the first time. "I couldn't live with myself if anything…"

She smiled and held his eyes. "Me too, Draco," she returned, letting the cool touch of his hand comfort her. "No matter what you do, after this is over, find me, and I'll find you," she whispered, strongly.

"What I have to do…you won't…"

She shook her head, stopping his words, realizing he needed more. She needed more. He couldn't do this alone. She could see that now. "Would you let me help you?"

Draco's face transformed into mild hope before falling into despair. "You can't help me, Granger. They will kill you and everyone I hold dear just to punish me. I can't put you through that."

"I can't let you do this alone. You don't need to."

"It's either me or someone else would take up the cause, and if I don't…my parents will pay."

"What if we tell Dumbledore? He might…"

"I can't."

Her eyes filled with tears. The pain she suffered through the past few months finally made sense, now that she stood in front of him. Hearing his own pain. She felt him. Sensing his pain and misery. Feeling it as her own. Funny how she just realized it. On the brink of war and she realized how much he meant to her or could mean if given the chance. "Please."

His face closed in defeat. He couldn't allow her to help him. He couldn't. All he wanted was to keep her safe. His parents and Granger were the only ones who mattered to him. He couldn't lose them. Not now.

But the war was inevitable, just as she said. War was coming and people usually died in the war. He shuddered to comprehend who would not last in the end. His parents perhaps would not survive and he possibly could live with that but her…

He cared for her for years. She had been the one constant in his life ever since they were eleven and he saw her on the train. The one bright spot in his life. Yes, he called her cruel names, but he never meant them, especially not after the third year.

"Why would you help me? I've been nothing but cruel to you."

She licked her lips and held his eyes. "Because I believe in second chances," she paused, pushing for words to come. "And you deserve one."

He swallowed and pulled her towards him. Their lips met and in a tender moment, they expressed what words could not say. His lips brushed over hers like a feather before wrapping her closer to his body with one arm while the wand-free hand threaded through her brown curls.

One of her arms wrapped around his waist, holding on to him while the other arm slithered around his neck, threading her fingers through his blond hair. She moaned, opening her mouth wider against his, thankful no one was here to witness this display.

Her knees weakened and her back bent slightly as he dipped her only a fraction. What began as a tender brush of lips transformed into a passionate embrace, one which spoke more than words could ever relay.

"Hermione," he breathed against her lips, brushing his across hers. All the while, attempting to steady his shaking body.

She touched his lips with her hand and pressed her lips to his once more. "I know. When this is over, tell me then," she returned, tears filling her eyes, refusing to think of an outcome where he did not live.

"What if…?"

She shook her head and traced his lips with her fingers. "You will and so will I, but for now, we need to speak to Dumbledore."

"Granger…"

"Malfoy," she began with a hard tone, pulling back enough for him to see her eyes flash. "I'm going to help, whether you like it or not."

He smirked a traditional Draco Malfoy smirk and shook his head. "Is this why Potter and Weasley are afraid of you?"

She smiled, despite the tension of the moment and shrugged. "Maybe, or maybe because I throw a mean right cross."

He smiled and nodded. "I can attest to that."

Her fingers caressed his cheek and her smile faded. "Will you come with me?"

"You should know, part of my mission is to…kill Dumbledore."

If she was surprised, he didn't see it in her eyes. She only nodded and stepped back, grasping his hand in hers. "All the more reason to see him."

His mouth opened but she silenced his words once more by covering it with her own. She pulled back and a blush tinged her cheeks as his eyes turned to cool ice grey.

How could she have never known? His feelings for her were written in his eyes as she searched them. The color shift to ice grey only occurred when he looked at her. She realized it now. It was not hatred, prejudice, or any other hateful emotion. It was something else. Something deeper. Something that made her shiver with excitement rather than disgust.

His free hand caressed her face, a touch that cooled her burning flesh. "It's not easy."

Her hand grasped his hand on her face and closed her eyes, understanding him with each passing moment. "Which is why I'm not asking, I'm telling," she whispered, finally opening her eyes to search his. "I'm not letting you do this alone."

"If anything," his voice cracked as he trailed off.

She nodded and pulled his hand down, holding it firmly with her own. "Which is why we need to speak to Dumbledore. You won't be alone. I won't leave you."

"What about Potter and Weasley?"

She glanced at their hands, perfectly melded together. White and tan. A perfect combination. Fire and Ice. Wasn't that a muggle poem? She smiled at the memory of it. "If they cannot understand this, then I'm sorry for them, but I will not abandon you."

Draco breathed out. He knew Hermione's loyalty to her friends and for her to extend that loyalty to him built up his admiration for her even more. He clenched his jaw. There was no choice now. Although he still had one, he couldn't disappoint her. "Alright, Granger, I'll go."

She smiled, brightly, slipping her other arm around his body, hugging him as her head rested on his shoulder. His body relaxed and his head rested on top of hers. Their hands still clutched together.

Somewhere in the Room of Requirement, they heard a lullaby beginning to play. Not just any lullaby, but a song which spoke to both of them.

"No matter what happens with Dumbledore," Draco began, holding her tight as they swayed slightly. "Promise me you will be safe."

"I'm not sure if I can promise it, but I will try if you will."

Separating, only a fraction, their foreheads touched in a simple gesture as the music continued to play. A song which was muggle made, but for once Draco did not care for the tune spoke to his soul.

In the silence between them, the song came alive and Hermione spoke the tender words of the song, which made him smile.

"If I never knew you, I'd be safe but half as real. Never knowing that I could feel a love so strong and true. I'm so grateful to you."

He pulled back and held her eyes. "I just want you safe."

"And I want you safe."

He breathed out, glancing at the closet behind him and his eyes spoke of the pain and conflict but when he shifted to her the pain and conflict disappeared into something else. "Let's go to Dumbledore."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him as the music faded in the distance.

Holding his hand, they left the room, confident, and at peace with the decision they made as long as they were side by side, they would survive the war.

They had to.

For they had a blossoming love to fight for.

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**Please be kind!**

**I know I am a little behind in getting this one-shot up, but this one I had a time getting just right as I didn't want it to be too pushy or something if you know what I mean.**

**The Song in this is one of my favorites from the Disney movie, "Pocahontas" called "If I never knew you." If you have not heard it, you need to. It's beautiful. (Both versions, but I love the pop version, personally)**

**Since I have other stories, which I have been trying to wrap up in the next few weeks, it may be a while before this collection is updated again, but I will update!**

**If you guys have any requests, you can send them! I will do my best to get them done!**

**Until Next Time...**


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